They can’t kill salmonella and other pathogens before the food is boxed up and sent to their retail locations.

Increasingly, the corporations that supply Americans with processed foods are unable to guarantee the safety of their ingredients. In this case, ConAgra could not pinpoint which of the more than 25 ingredients in its pies was carrying salmonella. Other companies do not even know who is supplying their ingredients, let alone if those suppliers are screening the items for microbes and other potential dangers, interviews and documents show.

This is going to become a serious problem in a globalized economy where even food production is done outside of the United States and corporations aren’t able to track the ingredients and etc.

Yet the supply chain for ingredients in processed foods — from flavorings to flour to fruits and vegetables — is becoming more complex and global as the drive to keep food costs down intensifies. As a result, almost every element, not just red meat and poultry, is now a potential carrier of pathogens, government and industry officials concede.

I wonder what Teddy Roosevelt who played an important role in the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration would have to say about this turn of events.